Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Superintendent's Weekly Message - December 20, 2024

Dear Families and Staff,

Congratulations to the Stamford All-School Musical’s cast, crew, and production team on another incredible season! My husband, John, and I have attended the Stamford All-School Musical annually since joining the Stamford community in 2013, and we are always awestruck by the incredible student talent assembled on the All-School Musical stage. This year’s production featured magnificent vocal performances and mesmerizing full-company dance numbers accompanied by a 16-piece professional orchestra. A special thanks to All-School Musical co-producers Nancy Freedman and Amy Guttman, director and choreographer Linda Duci, and music director Zachary Kampler for providing our students with the opportunity to participate in a professional-quality production right here in Stamford. I’m already looking forward to the 18th All-School Musical in 2025!

Stamford High School “Knight” of Cabaret is Tomorrow Night

You have another chance to enjoy the talent in our school community during the 14th annual Stamford High School (SHS) Knight of Cabaret, which is tomorrow—Saturday, December 21—at 7 pm in the SHS auditorium. This one-night only event benefits Stamford High’s award-winning theatre program, the Strawberry Hill Players, who will stage the iconic musical 42nd Street in Spring 2025. The Knight of Cabaret features performances by SPS students and alumni, including several cast members from Anything Goes. The Knight of Cabaret is always an incredible evening of entertainment that is not to be missed! Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Seasonal Greeting Card Contest Winners

Last week, Mayor Simmons and I were honored to celebrate the winners of the annual Stamford Public Schools Seasonal Greeting Card Contest. This year’s contest was open to high school students. Mayor Simmons and I selected the winning artwork, which we are proudly using for our holiday greeting cards.

Mayor’s Selections:

First Place: Jeremy Smith (Westhill). Teacher: Mr. Mathew DiGiovanna
Second Place: Charles Bordon (Westhill). Teacher: Mr. Mathew DiGiovanna
Honorable Mention: Sandy Mancilla Ruano (Westhill). Teacher: Mrs. Tamara Dilworth

Superintendent’s Selections:

First Place: Xin Mei Chen (Stamford High). Teacher: Mr. Teek Eaton-Koch
Second Place: Xiomara Galwan, (Westhill). Teacher: Mrs. Tamara Dilworth
Honorable Mention: Melissa Berganza (Westhill). Teacher: Mrs. Robin Konrad

Thank you to Mrs. Robin Konrad—who is the Department Leader for Visual and Performing Arts at Westhill and the district’s Content Area Leader for Visual Arts—for organizing this annual contest.

Flexible Schedule Parent Information Session

Thank you to the Parent Teacher Council of Stamford for hosting a parent information session about the high school flexible schedule on Monday night. For more information about the flexible schedule, please see the message from BOE President Michael Hyman and me (English / Spanish) that was sent to the school community on Tuesday afternoon.

Big Picture Learning Academy Charter Public Hearing

Thank you to everyone who attended the State Board of Education’s public hearing about the proposed Stamford Big Picture Learning Academy (SBPLA) Charter High School on Tuesday night. We appreciated the many voices of support for this unique learning program. The State Board of Education will vote on the SBLA proposal on January 15, 2025.

Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI)

Stamford PLTI, sponsored by the Stamford Public Education Foundation, is seeking parents, grandparents, guardians or other adults to join the FREE 2025 PLTI program beginning in January. PLTI helps parents and other adults acquire the skills to be effective advocates for children. See this flier for more information and click here to apply. Slots fill up quickly so please submit your application as soon as possible.